


We Rise Together, We Fall Together

by Exiti_Anima



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dani Powell Is A Godsend, Dani Powell Is Very Patient, F/M, Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug, Malcolm Goes Through Some Shit, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, She's Amazing, Slow Burn, So Does Dani, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21598738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exiti_Anima/pseuds/Exiti_Anima
Summary: Dani Powell grew up hearing of how great it is to have a soulmate, someone destined for you and only you. The marks on her wrists, the telling of her platonic soulmates, she loved to look at and the bright blue stone in her chest was proof that she had a romantic soulmate and it was only a matter of time before she met them. As she grew older, she met her platonic soulmates and one of them, Malcolm Bright, was a little off. The way his expression would change when he looked at her stone, the way he himself never showed his own stone, everything was suspicious.And she was determined to find out what's going on.Malcolm Bright knew his soulmates, both platonic and romantic, were better off without him and he was determined to make sure he never met them. When he meets Dani Powell along with the others in the NYPD, he knows his mission is going to be a lot harder.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 14
Kudos: 174





	We Rise Together, We Fall Together

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm invested into Prodigal Son and I couldn't resist writing something for it, which turned out to be a little longer than I expected (41 pages on Google Docs, insane right?) but I hope you like it!

Soulmate stones were something to be treasured, something that was there with humans since the beginning of time-whether that means Adam and Eve or the Big Bang or some other religious and scientific explanation. Scientists eventually studied this and ultimately decided woman bodies were just equipped to handle the soulmate stones while the baby was in development. When the baby was born the stone would come with it, similar to the umbilical cord, and that stone would decide who the baby is destined to be with.

It was now just up to the child to decide if they were going to go after their destiny.

The stones had a shard of their soulmate’s soul, according to religious people and psychics, while others, scientists and atheists, believed that the babies who were “destined” to be together had similar brain waves which in turn allowed this other attachment to their body to feel their soulmate.

Whatever the belief, it was a common agreement that the stone reflected your soulmate’s state of mind and well being. The shade of color represent their mind and psyche, while cracks represent their physical well-being.

The stones also had another trait to them, they heat up or cool down depending on how close you are to your soulmate’s stone. Some people dedicate their entire life to reaching the warmth that signifies they’ve met their soulmate, while others are content with the coldness.

Dani’s stone was a light shade of blue, transparent and seemingly glowing. She grew up with her mother telling her that it meant her soulmate was honest and lively, and Dani wore hers with pride-she had always been a blunt person and to know her soulmate was the same always filled her with happiness as a child. The stone was embedded in her chest, like all others, and while there was ways to cover it up she didn’t want to. It was common for children to wear their stones with pride, and she was no exception.

When she turned double digits, though, things took a turn for the worst for her soulmate.

It happened during dinner, her family chattering happily and she ate her food gratefully, when suddenly she felt as though her stone was darkening rapidly, resonating so deep in her chest she felt it touched her soul.

Letting out a gasp, Dani’s hands had flown to her chest-grasping the stone that connected her to her soulmate. Her parents, both each other’s soulmate and great role models to her, had sat her down that night and explained to her what it meant for a crack to appear and what it meant for her stone to darken.

Surprisingly, her stone was still translucent. Now, it was just a darker shade of blue.

Remembering it as she got older, it had obviously concerned her parents that her soulmate was in trouble so young but to her it didn’t matter. It was still her soulmate, and when she met them then she’d help them!

After her stone darkened, little nicks of cracks would start appearing seemingly randomly and when she was in school. After a while it didn’t bother her, although she only understood the implications when she reached high school and those nicks suddenly turned into cracks.

When she did find out, she vowed that when she met her soulmate she’d never let anyone hurt them like that again.

The color of her stone only got worse, by the time she joined the NYPD it was a navy blue and much less transparent then it had been, but she still held faith that she could help with whatever was going on with her soulmate.

She met JT and Gil there, and she couldn’t be more happier that she did. Alongside the soulmate stones were names written on your wrist, signifying who your best friend would be. For Dani, she had two-one of them being JT.

The other was someone named Malcolm Bright.

Except for the last name was scarred, damage that would forever be on their skin.

Neither of them knew when it happened exactly, but they knew one night they woke up to a burning sensation and the last name initially written there was burned off and replaced with Bright.

Scientists already figured this one out, when someone changed their last name with strong conviction or because their last name held bad memories for them their initial last name would appear to be “burned” off of the other’s skin.

Both JT and Dani hoped it was the former, but had a sinking feeling it was the latter.

So when a Malcolm Bright showed up with a grin on his face and practically _vibrating_ with excitement to see a _dead_ body, Dani and JT shared a look and nodded.

This was their guy.

Dani still stood by her ideals that her soulmate was a good person no matter what her stone showed, and watched with interest as Malcolm’s face went through an array of emotions when he saw it before settling on a suspiciously neutral face.

But her stone didn’t seem any warmer so she brushed it off as a profiler thing, even though Bright’s face went through significantly less emotions when seeing JT’s.

For Bright personally, even as time went on, she’s never seen his soulmate stone. When pressed by JT, Bright shrugged it off and changed the subject quickly but subtlety-so much that only Dani noticed and that was only because she wasn’t in the conversation.

His suits didn’t offer any way to see his stone either, and Gil was stubbornly silent on the subject of Bright’s stone.

“Malcolm Whitly? How did we _ignore_ this?” JT groaned when he and Dani were alone, to which she shrugged-internally annoyed at herself for not making the connection sooner. “How did we _forget?”_

“It has been awhile, we could’ve let it slip our mind what his true name was because we were so used to seeing Bright as the last name.”

“I didn’t think I could forget with the scarring on my wrist reminding me, but you’re probably right. Still, doesn’t make it any less annoying.” JT sighed, sipping on his water, and Dani nodded her agreement. “Although, you’d think with all his enthusiasm he’d be happy to meet his two destined best friends but he didn’t even seem to have a reaction.”

“Maybe he wanted to respect our first meeting, get first impressions out of the way?” Dani guessed but, if the scarring on their wrists was anything to go on, they suspected it wouldn’t be that simple.

And they were soon to find out nothing was when it came to Malcolm Bright.

* * *

Something taboo about soulmate stones was that you could get them removed.

It wasn’t something that was openly talked about, and those that did get it removed didn’t brag about this fact, but it was definitely possible.

The procedure to get it done was excruciating, getting better everyday as medical advancements came about, and when it was done, you'd be left with a small hole in your chest-right between your collarbones.

While it was excruciating to get the soulmate stone _out,_ it was very simple to put it back _in._ All you had to do is slot it right back in your chest, like the final puzzle piece fitting in with the rest of the puzzle. Over the time span of a week, the skin will rapidly heal around the soulmate stone and after it’d be like you never had the procedure done in the first place.

Until you put your stone back in though, the skin would remain scarred.

The soul stone slot, though, could have other stones inside it, the skin just wouldn’t heal. It was a custom for the Aztecs to take out the soul stone of what they believed to be their gods and place it in the human sacrifice, so whenever they gave their sun god a human sacrifice the god would also be getting their stone back. Afterwards, they’d take the stone back out and store it for next time.

Catholics, and any religious person really, wouldn’t let the body be buried without the soul stone, believing that if they kept the soul stone the person would haunt them and be bound to Earth.

The Surgeon would be the one to exploit these facts, and Malcolm would be the one that learned all of this from him.

When asked how he was able to lure at least 23 victims to him and then successfully kill them, he simply laughed.

_‘A soulmate stone is a strong thing, you’d be surprised what people would do if they felt that warmth.’_

This caused the police to search the house and, when they reached the box Malcolm swore that a girl was in, they found soul stones instead.

_At least 23._

Soul stones are small in width and size, like a cylindrical disk, so it had been quite easy for the Surgeon to stack them up apparently.

The first time he talked, months after the Surgeon was arrested, he muttered one thing that he would carry out the moment he turned 21.

“I’m getting my soul stone removed.” Ainsley was too young to understand exactly what they meant but she was too ecstatic to hear her brother speak to care, and if that’s what he wanted to do then she’d support him no matter what.

When she was finally of age to understand, she hoped that he would forget he ever had the idea to begin with.

And maybe he would’ve, but the people at school didn’t let him.

_‘You don’t deserve to have a stone!’_

_‘You’ll be the first to have a soul enemy, nobody can love you after what happened!’_

_‘Your soul stone is probably fake! God wouldn’t of had given a stone to a monster like you!’_

At the age of 21 Malcolm had his stone removed.

When it was removed, the doctors had placed it gently in his hands and said that anytime he wanted to he could put it back in. When he got home, he placed it in a velvet box and knew he was _never_ going to put it back in. Sometimes he would look at it, after particularly bad nightmares, and knowing that his soulmate was alright, despite the slightly darkened color and small cracks, comforted him.

At one point, he had looked into it and saw that his stone had changed from bright yellow to a murky yellow. He was tempted that night to put it back in, just so he could know how his soulmate was feeling, but ultimately closed it.

He didn’t get a lot of sleep that night.

A few months later, he began fearing the worst. The yellow wasn’t getting any brighter, if anything it was darker than Malcolm had ever seen it, and more cracks were appearing. But, one day, it started getting better. It was a gradual thing, but eventually the yellow turned back to a bright yellow-although never as bright as it had been before.

He would never admit it but he had checked his stone every day until it had gotten better.

Although, he didn’t want to think what _his_ stone looked like on his soulmate and how his soulmate reacted each time it got darker or more cracks appeared.

He was sure that his soulmate hid their stone from sight, too embarrassed to show it off.

A side effect of getting your stone taken out is that your more prone to mental illnesses, like depression and anxiety, so he was sure that his stone wasn’t looking too good. It also worsened any mental illness you may already have, so when Malcolm had his stone taken out his PTSD, depression, and generalized anxiety obviously didn’t get any better.

Another trait about the soulmate stone is that if your bond to your soulmate grows strong enough, you’ll be able to tell what’s causing the cracks and darkening of color. He didn’t know exactly how it worked, Gil had said it’s like flashes of vision, but he definitely didn’t want his soulmate having flashes of him thrashing on the bed in the middle of a nightmare or visions of the girl in the box. So, if he didn’t have a soulmate to bond with then he didn’t have somebody at risk of possibly being scarred for the rest of their life due to him.

His platonic bonds on his wrists were also covered up, by himself of course, because he didn’t want to disappoint his platonic soulmates.

And if he didn’t know who they were then he can’t actively seek them out or know who they were once someone introduces themselves.

If he remembered correctly, there are three on his wrists but the names escaped his mind.

Probably for be better.

When he met Dani, JT, and Edrisa, he thought that they could be the names, but immediately after banished it from his mind.

Meeting three of his platonic soulmates at once, and have them be good and honest people?

Yeah right.

_(He deserves monsters as friends)._

When he saw Dani’s soulmate stone, his breath was taken away at how connected he felt with it. He shook the feeling away too, convinced he couldn’t be destined for someone like Dani.

Dani, who was headstrong and honest and a nice person _(not everyone would comfort a person after they just tackled them, nightmare-induced or not_ ). Dani, who has obviously seen some shit but still comes back stronger than ever.

Dani, who could possibly be his soulmate.

His mother was destined to be with a monster, however fucked up that was, and they knew he was her true soulmate because they met in high school where he still had his soulmate stone in him. They also knew because when he placed it inside his soul stone slot, over the span of a week his skin healed.

Malcolm just hopes Dani isn’t doomed to the same fate.

But still, despite himself, he couldn’t help but grow closer to all of them. He made guesses of JT’s name and he didn’t have to be a profiler to see that it confused him, which added to his suspicion that they were bound together by the names on their wrists. Personally, Malcolm avoided looking at their wrists out of the fear that his name would be written on them.

Sometimes he’d just shrug on a suit jacket or long sleeves to avoid looking at his wrists, other times he’d put makeup on his wrist to hide it-having perfected not looking as he’s doing it when he was younger and had Ainsley’s help.

Today, he shrugged on a long sleeve button up to match with his suit. They had just finished a case and they all decided that they’d let themselves celebrate for once, so they went to a local bar and ordered themselves some drinks.

“C’mon man, you can’t tell me you’ve _never_ wondered.” JT argued, and Malcolm rolled his eyes as he took a sip of his glass.

“No, I’ve never wondered how much I could drink before I got completely drunk off my ass.” Despite Gil’s teasing when the alcohol had mixed in with whatever medication the hospital had given Malcolm, they both knew he wasn’t a lightweight. He only allows himself to drink enough to get a light buzz, nothing more, and he didn’t have to _wonder_ how someone acts like when they’re drunk off their ass.

He was just glad Ainsley _doesn’t_ remember those times, times where he would carefully extract her from their mother’s room and spend all night awake watching over her vigilantly because their mother couldn’t.

Yeah, he wasn’t too keen on finding out how _he_ acted when drunk like that and he never plans on finding out.

Instead of saying that, he explains to JT the effects of drinking like that jokingly-eliciting a laugh from everyone.

The conversation went smoothly from there, and the team felt themselves grow a little closer from this bonding moment.

* * *

The first time Dani went to Malcolm’s house, it was when he was drunk when the medications had been mixed in with what little alcohol he had drunk. When she arrived, she felt her soulmate stone get warmer and felt a pull to the kitchen. She drifted closer, but pulled herself together by asking about Malcolm’s variety of weapons. He had responded with the history of Morning Star, how he had done so while being drunk escaped her, and she didn’t dare look around anymore with Malcolm’s eyes on her. However drunk he was, she wasn’t stupid enough to think that he wasn’t watching her.

After she put on the restraints, she glanced to the kitchen one more time and felt the tug in her heart again.

Everything in her was _screaming_ to go to the kitchen and find whatever is making her stone warm up. To not ignore this calling, the calling her mother used to describe to her when she was younger.

But then she looked at Malcolm and felt her resolve, her determination, weakening.

Malcolm, who had trusted them so easily to be apart of their lives. Malcolm, who took so much comfort in her when he had the nightmares at the police station. Malcolm, who has such a horrible past and is still able to get up and smile past his nightmares and share a laugh with them.

Malcolm, who just might be her soulmate.

“Goodnight Bright.”

Dani closed the door, if only to respect to obvious fact about her soulmate.

_Malcolm Bright did not want to meet his soulmate._

Days past, and soon Dani found herself back in Malcolm’s place for a completely different reason than last time.

If Malcolm’s usual chaotic energy was at a 10, high Malcolm was _off the charts._

“Let’s throw _axes!”_ Malcolm jumped on the couch, grinning widely, and Dani’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

“I have _five!”_ Malcolm’s grin disappeared, only for a moment. “No, six. Doesn’t matter! We have plenty!”

Dani managed to get Malcolm’s mind off of axes, and away from the awkward moment of Malcolm forcing her into a dancing pose, and somehow they landed on the issue of her trust.

“You can trust me.” Malcolm said, so earnestly that it took Dani’s breath away for a moment. She felt the thrum of her soulmate stone in her chest, the warmth of being so close to wherever Malcolm’s stone is _(she’s certain he’s had it taken out and it’s somewhere in the room),_ and she felt like this would be the moment where they’d talk.

Talk about what they both knew was there, despite Malcolm not having his stone to feel it, and get through each of their boundaries. Maybe Malcolm wasn’t ready for that connection and relationship and that’s okay, neither was Dani honestly, but they could get through it _together,_ just like her parents.

Then Malcolm jumped up with a wild grin on his face and changed the subject quickly, forcing Dani back into reality and making her take charge.

Yeah, maybe now wasn’t the time to have that conversation.

Still, she smiled and laughed to herself at Malcolm’s excitement of a crumble.

She distantly heard Malcolm come back out from the bathroom and sit on the couch, and smiled to herself softly.

“Malcolm, you good?” Dani called out and while she wasn’t really concerned, she was just making sure.

When she didn’t get any response, she called again.

Still, no response.

By then she was getting more worried but, by the time she began to take a step towards him, he bolted.

“Malcolm?!” Dani called worriedly, and sprinted to where Malcolm had rushed off to. She debated internally whether or not to open to door, maybe Malcolm just wanted space, but when she heard a thud she knew to open it.

“Bright, Bright! Calm down!” Malcolm’s hands flailed and Dani easily batted them away, still trying to calm him down. When she saw no other option, Malcolm was only getting worse, Dani was forced to knock him out and he went down quickly.

Letting out a sigh, Dani stared at the now unconscious Malcolm.

_‘Figures the only time he looks peaceful is unconscious.’_ Dani thought, absentmindedly reaching forward and brushing Malcolm’s hair away from his face, and stood up.

“Alright, let’s see how heavy he really is.” Dani muttered to herself, moving to go lift Malcolm up. She took small breaks, but ultimately got Malcolm onto the bed with the suit jacket and shoes off.

After, Dani sat down on a chair and decided if she saw Malcolm in a nightmare she’d wake him up before it got too bad.

Surprisingly, though, he didn’t twitch in any way that would hint at a nightmare and soon Dani felt her eyes drooping.

And before she knew it, she was asleep.

* * *

“Guys, this is Ainsley.” Malcolm smiled as he introduced his sister, who smiled at his teammates and shook their hands.

“It’s so good to meet you guys, I’m glad I get to meet the people that stop him from getting killed.” Ainsley jokingly said, and Malcolm rolled his eyes.

“They do not-“

“Oh we absolutely do.” JT jumped in, and Malcolm looked mildly offended.

“Hey I can take care of myself just fine!”

“In a fight maybe, but not against yourself.” Ainsley countered, and Dani had a feeling this was bordering on something more personal when Malcolm shot her a warning look.

“Let’s move on, you don’t even know their names.” Malcolm urges Ainsley, to which she gave in.

Dani had a feeling this would be brought up later between the siblings.

“JT, nice to meet you.”

“Edrisa, your brother is truly extraordinary!”

“Dani Powell, and don’t worry about your brother-we have him covered.” Ainsley’s eyes tracked them all as she shook their hands, and when she was done she smiled widely.

“Malcolm!” The person in question had strayed from the group, but he came back into focus when Ainsley called his name. “Malcolm look!” Ainsley pointed at their wrists, reminding Dani of a child, and Malcolm laughed uncomfortably.

“Ainsley, you know that pointing is rude.” Malcolm tried to direct her attention away from what she was trying to get to, already knowing, and Dani watched as Ainsley puffed out a breath.

“I swear you’re so difficult.”

“You know I don’t like looking at people’s wrists.”

“I don’t have to look, I remember the names.” Malcolm looked at her in surprise, and Dani felt the tension practically radiating from him.

“You do? But you were so young, I don’t even remember.”

“Yeah, well maybe you don’t _want_ to remember.” Malcolm looked away from her, trying to avoid conflict, and in that moment Ainsley took the opportunity to seize his wrist and pull down his sleeve.

“Ainsley!” Malcolm squeezes his eyes shut, but the silence and names on his wrist condemned him.

He knew what was there, but looking at it would finalize what he’s been avoiding.

“Hey,” Dani stepped forward, frowning. “JT why don’t you, Edrisa, and Ainsley walk around Central for a bit?” She felt bad for Malcolm, the way he was moving his head away from his wrist and squeezing his eyes shut and doing everything he can to _not look._

Ainsley looked like she was about to argue, but when her eyes landed on Dani’s soul stone _(she knew she was comparing it to Malcolm and reaching the conclusion Dani had a while ago)_ her eyes widened and she quickly agreed.

Once they were gone, Dani looked to Malcolm and carefully took his hand.

“Hey Malcolm, it’s okay just look at me.” Malcolm sucked in a breath and opened his eyes as they landed on hers, his body stiff. The hand curled around hers and she adjusted so they could lock hands. The contact seemed to help him calm down some, but Dani could still see the wild look in his eyes and the shakiness in his hands.

“Let’s go sit down, yeah?” Malcolm nodded shakily and she carefully led him to a nearby bench.

“I don’t want to look.” Malcolm whispered once they sat down, and Dani nodded.

“I know Malcolm, and if you truly feel like you can’t handle it then I want you to pull up your sleeve right now. But, I’m right here and I promise that I’ll be by your side whenever you want to face this.” Malcolm closed his eyes and Dani watched as he took a deep breath before opening them back up. He was fearful still, but he held her gaze determinedly.

“Okay, okay. Yeah let’s do it.” Malcolm let out an uncontrollable giggle before it got swallowed by an inaudible gasp as she lifted his wrist closer to the middle of them.

“Hey it’s okay, I’m right here.” Dani assured, and Malcolm nodded as he swallowed thickly. “One step at a time.” She subconsciously rubbed her thumb against his wrist in a calming gesture, and he exhaled slowly.

“One step at a time.” Malcolm muttered, and Dani let him set the rules. She’d wait for as long as he needed her to until he was ready to look.

Moments passed, just them staring into each other’s eyes, and Malcolm clenched his jaw.

“Cover the names.” Malcolm stated, and Dani did so without question-sensing that he had gathered his courage.

Malcolm jerkily looked down and gritted his teeth as he stared at Dani’s fingers covering the names that he knew were there.

“Don’t rush yourself.” Dani warned, but if there’s one thing Malcolm was known for was diving head first into his trauma once he got started.

“On the count of three?” Malcolm asked, and Dani nodded.

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

JT’s name stood out against his skin, being written in a dark shade of black like all platonic bonds, and Malcolm laughed, expelling some of his nerves.

“At least I know his name now.”

“You would not believe how much that confused him when you didn’t know his name and kept guessing it.” Dani rolled her eyes playfully, making Malcolm crack a grin, and was internally pleased when his body drained of some tension.

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

Edrisa was next on his wrist.

“She was so excited when she found out, she was going to tackle you the moment she saw you next time.”

“What?!” Malcolm burst out laughing at that, and Dani started laughing too.

“She was going to tackle you into a hug, but we managed to talk to her before she got to you.”

“I would be so scared if she tackled me into a hug for no reason, so thank you for that.” Malcolm smiled at her, but Dani could feel his pulse pick up again.

“Are you nervous?”

“I shouldn’t be, I know who’s the next one, but...” Malcolm trails off and gives her a helpless shrug, and Dani understands.

“You need some time?” Dani offers, but Malcolm shakes his head.

“No, lets do this.”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

_‘How can Jackie be your soulmate and your platonic bond?’ Ainsley questioned to Gil, and the couple shared a fond look as they turned back towards the Whitley children._

_‘A platonic bond is just another word for your best friend, someone you’ll spend the rest of your life with and share all your secrets with. A good relationship is with someone that is both your best friend and your romantic partner, someone you feel like you can disclose anything to.’ Malcolm was known to be the genius of the Whitly children, but never let it be said that Ainsley wasn’t smart either. While Malcolm was smart in the aspect of mind and reality, Ainsley was smart in the aspect of emotions and the heart._

_‘Malcolm isn’t on my wrist!’ Ainsley pouted, and Gil laughed lightly._

_‘No, most siblings aren’t. That doesn’t mean your bond isn’t strong though, so don’t ever underestimate your brother’s love for you.’ The person in question was mute, but when Ainsley turned towards him smiled at her and his eyes softened._

_‘I love him too!’ Ainsley tackled Malcolm into a hug, and Malcolm smiled thankfully at the pair for taking care of his sister._

_No words were needed to be said for them to get this, and they smiled back._

Dani Powell was written on his wrist.

“I could’ve never guessed.” Dani remarked sarcastically, not knowing the memory that resurfaced for Malcolm, and he smiled softly, nostalgia dampening his usual chaotic energy.

Dani looked up and caught Malcolm staring at her with soft eyes and raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Nothing,” Malcolm cleared his throat and the moment was gone, his eyes brightening and smile broadening. “I was just reminded of something.”

“Good I hope.”

“Definitely.” Malcolm confirmed and, before Dani could ask what it was, a voice called from the distance.

“Hey, you guys want pizza?” JT yelled, and Malcolm was springing up and walking towards them-giving Dani a whiplash from how fast he could change moods.

“Sure!” Malcolm yelled back, even though they all knew he’d barely eat, and he turned towards Dani as his eyes softened again. “Hey, thanks for helping me.”

“No problem.” Dani responded, and watched as Malcolm went to pull his sleeve down instinctively before stopping himself.

Neither remarked on it as they walked to join the others.

* * *

“Why’d you want me as your plus one again?” Dani asks as she walks with Malcolm inside a building. The person in question had approached her the other week with the question, to which she hesitantly agreed with.

“Because you’d keep me from going insane, and hopefully nobody will approach us if they see I have company.” Malcolm responded easily, throwing her a smile as he flashed a card to the security guard. The security guard nodded, but not before eyeing Dani suspiciously.

“Asshole.” Dani muttered, and Malcolm nodded in agreement.

“Tell me about it.”

“Malcolm dear!” A voice sounded from in front of them, and Dani looked up to see a woman walking towards them. She remembered Malcolm mentioning that it was his mother, something that started with a J? “I met this lovely wom-oh! Who is this?” Malcolm’s mother smiled pleasantly, and Malcolm took the initiative to introduce her.

“Mother, this is Dani Powell. Dani, this is my mother-Jessica Whitley.”

“A pleasure dear, although I am surprised you brought someone along Malcolm. You never did before.” Jessica commented, and they held a stare down as Malcolm smiled tensely.

“Yes, well, we all have to start somewhere mother. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Today?”

“Nothing like the present.”

_‘God damn, does everyone in this family hate each other?’_ Dani thought as Jessica let out a little huff before spinning around.

“Well, at least you came.” Jessica sniffed as she walked off, letting a perfect smile grace her face as she approaches another group of people. It unnerved Dani how easily she could hide her emotions and how, if she hadn’t been standing here when it happened, she would have no idea that Jessica just got into an argument with Malcolm and stormed off upset.

“I see your family is very close.” Dani remarked wryly, and Malcolm smiled at her.

“Yeah, the closest.” Malcolm quipped sarcastically as he lead her to a seat. “We’re family at the end of the day and we love each other, but that doesn’t mean we don’t argue or get angry at each other.” He lets out a laugh, even though Dani saw nothing funny in what he said. “We _definitely_ get angry at each other.”

“What about that?” Dani notions to Jessica, who takes a sip of her wine on cue. “She’s almost done with that glass and we’ve only been here for five minutes.”

“Nothing unusual.” Malcolm dismissed easily, barely glancing over at his mother. “She knows her limits.”

_‘And I know hers too.’_ Malcolm internally thought, face momentarily darkening at the thought. He learned her limits young, he had to in order to be able to grab Ainsley in time from her mother’s bedroom. He was eternally grateful that she would _never_ remember those times, times that he would stay up all night watching over Ainsley _(not like it mattered, nightmares were keeping him up most nights anyway)_ while the smell of a fire smoke wafted through his door crack and into his room. Times where he would sneak out at dawn once he was sure his mother was asleep and sweep up all the ashes of his father’s pictures, take all the empty wine bottles and throw them out, and cover his mother with a blanket from where she laid passed out on the couch.

The first time he attempted to speak, after months of going silent, was during one of these moments. Malcolm had walked downstairs, this was during the time it was new to him so he didn’t have timing down yet, and had seen his mother throwing up. He moved quickly, turning her on her side and rubbing her back as she threw up and when he was done he went to open his mouth. Maybe plead for her to stop, to ask for his mother back, but before he could say something she reached up and brushed some of his hair back.

_“Just like your father, always taking care of me. You two are just alike._ ” Malcolm’s eyes had widened impossibly wide at what she said, but he didn’t allow them to brim with tears until he was sure his mother was asleep. Shakily crawling back into bed, he curled around himself and wept, still noiseless, and knew that the comment had probably added two months to his already mute self.

Dani noticed that he was lost in his thoughts and nudged him slightly, smiling. “Well if you say so, I’ll drop it. Anyway, what’s the real point you dragged me here? Your mother seemed to have something planned for you, and I seemed to have stopped it by being here.”

“Only momentarily, she’ll still attempt to do it once she composes herself.” Malcolm explained, sighing to himself. “I wasn’t joking when I told you I wanted you here for your company. But, my mother also had planned tonight to get me to converse with girls in hopes one of them would catch my interest.”

“She doesn’t believe you’ll find your soulmate?” Dani questioned, eyebrows raised, and was painfully aware that they were treading a territory neither of them have talked about yet.

“She believes I don’t want to find them, so she’s doing second best in her mind.” Malcolm answered honestly, and there was silence momentarily.

“Do you?”

“At first? No. You could tell me my soulmate had the best personality and purest soul, and I’d still refuse to meet them. If anything, that’d make me want to meet them even less.”

“Why?” Dani knew that if someone offered the chance to meet her soulmate before her trust issues formed, she would’ve jumped at the chance. Hell, even after her trust issues formed she would’ve still been willing to meet them.

“The Surgeon used people’s soulmates against them, he took their stones and would follow the warmth until he met their other half. And then, he’d kill them too.” Malcolm’s voice was tight with anger, and his hand trembled before he cracked it to return it to normal. “He ruined it for me, for my mom too, and the first words I said after months of being mute was that I’d get rid of my soulmate stone the moment I was allowed to. The kids at school cursed my name, said I was either destined for a soul enemy or someone that was a monster like me.”

Dani wanted to say something, urge that he wasn’t a monster and those kids were just _assholes_ , but Malcolm continued before she could.

“But,” Malcolm finally made eye contact with her and gave her a crooked smile. “I don’t mind it as much anymore and I’m sure they were wrong. I don’t believe my soulmate is a monster or my enemy.” Still avoiding names, avoiding finalizing it, but that’s okay with Dani.

“I don’t think mine is either.” Dani muttered back, and Malcolm sucked in a small breath at her words. There was silence as Dani stared into Malcolm’s eyes, holding his gaze determinedly as to make sure Malcolm knew she was serious, and Malcolm smiled after a while.

“Well, I have to go say hi to some people as a courtesy thing but after that I’ll be all yours.” Malcolm looks over at his mother, who was conversing with a young woman. “Hopefully.”

Dani waves at him as he went, and watched with interest as he interacted with the guests-a smile plastered on his face. It eerily reminded her of Jessica, the way both of them can hide their true emotions with words and a smile.

She wondered if Malcolm ever turned those skills against them, hiding his true emotions from them with practiced ease.

_(She had a feeling the answer was yes)_

When Malcolm finally returned, he sat down next to her and let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank god, if I had to listen to one more person talk about how long it’s been since I’ve attended one of these events I would’ve dropped dead.” Malcolm dramatically groaned, and Dani raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“Has it really been that long?”

“Yes, but still they could be a little nicer and not being it up.” Malcolm pouted, and Dani laughed lightly.

“Why’d you show up then? I’m sure your mother has made a lot of these parties “mandatory” for you to come and you haven’t.” Malcolm was always an honest man, something that had surprised Dani when she first met him, and today was no exception.

“I had someone to come with.” Malcolm answered truthfully, and the words were a harsh reminder of Malcolm’s earlier words when he was high.

_‘I’m out of practice when it comes to friends.’_

“Well at least now you can say you went to one, I think that’ll give you 10 years before you have to come to another one?” Dani jokingly said, and Malcolm laughed.

They had a nice night after that, and surprisingly nobody interrupted them. Dani caught Jessica looking over at them a couple of times, and caught her face softening every time she saw her son smiling or laughing.

_‘We’re family at the end of the day and we love each other.’_

Dani was beginning to think that Jessica wasn’t as bad as first impressions made her out to be.

* * *

A part of Malcolm’s routine in the morning was to check his soulmate stone as he was taking his pills, somehow seeing that his soulmate was alright made it easier to swallow and pretend for a minute he was normal.

Which is how he knew something was wrong the moment he opened that box.

Inside the box his stone was beginning to darken as more cracks formed.

Malcolm stilled, and his mind began racing. What could be wrong? It was a weekday, Dani should be at work by now with JT and Gil.

He shut the box quickly and knew on Dani’s soulmate stone the blue was beginning to darken too as he felt panic crawl into his chest. Malcolm got dressed quickly, throwing on a gray long sleeve before grabbing the box and stuffing it in his coat pocket.

When he got to work, his eyes scanned for Dani but ultimately came up with nothing.

“Hey, have you guys seen Dani anywhere?” Malcolm asked, worry tinting his voice as he walked in Gil’s office, and Gil and JT shook their heads.

“No, why?”

“She’s in trouble but I don’t know why.” Malcolm fishes the box out of his coat pocket hurriedly and opened it, letting them see the cracks that are fresh and the darkening stone. He knew just by their expressions that Gil and JT are suddenly a lot more concerned.

“If your bond is strong enough-“ Gil began, but Malcolm shook his head.

“No, Gil I can’t-“ JT watched them go back and forth, like a tennis match.

“We don’t know where she’s at Malcolm, your bond is your best chance.”

“I can profile-“ Just as he spoke, Malcolm saw out of his peripheral something new come about the stone and turned to look at it fully.

The stone was more cracked than before.

“Malcolm.” Gil urged, and Malcolm grimaced.

“Fuck.” He openly cursed, not caring whether or not Gil’s office is soundproof or not, and quickly unbuttoned his shirt-having already taken off his coat.

JT was openly staring at the hole in his chest but he was too busy inserting his stone into his slot to notice. When he did he anxiously waited for the visions to come to give him a clue as to what’s going on with Dani.

He didn’t get any.

Gil could obviously read him as he reached on and held his arm comfortably. “It’s okay, let’s try the profiling where she could be.”

Malcolm buttoned up his shirt, the cold getting the better of him due to the additional coldness his soulmate stone gave him.

“Wait,” Malcolm breathes out, realization hitting him. “cold.”

“What?”

“The cold! I can find her with the temperature changes!” Malcolm was already out the door by the time he finished his sentence, running towards the warmth of his soulmate stone.

When he arrived at the building that was telling him his soulmate was here, he was staring up at an apartment complex.

Walking inside, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed to focus on the warmth now, especially with countless doors and stairs in front of him.

He could count out every level except for 1 and 2, already having profiled that out of Dani. But that was still a lot of doors.

He made an aborted move to go upstairs, but the lessening warmth told him that was a bad idea.

“Ha, I knew it.” Malcolm grinned despite himself and retracted into the first floor hall, staring at the doors. “Alright, which one is Dani in?” He kept walking and eventually trailed to a stop when he reached the door that brought him to warmest he’s been. Knocking on the door, he waits patiently and he’s not surprised when someone other than Dani opens the door.

“Can I help you?” The man asks, rudely of course, and Malcolm flashes him a brilliant grin that he’s learned from his mother.

“Hi yes I was wondering if Dani was in here? She was a little late for work without letting any of us know, which is a little unusual, so we were understandably a little worried.” Malcolm chooses his words carefully, he made sure it didn’t sound like he was singular in his worry, and the guy smirked arrogantly.

“Yes well you she’s my soulmate and we may have gotten it up a little rough last night if you know what I mean.” Malcolm felt a flash of worry but suppressed it, he needed his cool and he just prayed this guy was lying. He sent the same smirk back at the guy, ignoring the way it made his skin crawl, as he tapped on the spot where his stone is.

“Yeah? Well, that’s weird because I haven’t heard of a person having more than one soulmate.” Quicker than he could react, the man was pulling him inside and hitting him in the head with the hilt of a pistol. Groaning, Malcolm stumbled into the living room and fell with another hit to the head. Blinking blearily, he felt someone nudging his shoulder and he looked to see Dani in bonds and nursing a black eye.

“Are you okay? Did he...?” Malcolm couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence, but luckily he didn’t need to.

“No, nothing sexual. It was just an excuse to get you to go away, which obviously didn’t work.” Dani snorted, then frowned and squinted at him. “I feel warmer, is your stone-?” Dani didn’t get to finish her sentence because Malcolm suddenly sprung up and clapped his hands together.

“Okay!” He announced loudly and gleefully, ignoring the way Macho _(because that was his name now and Malcolm was too sleep deprived to actually give thought or care to his actual name)_ pointed his gun at him. “So it’s obvious you’re an ex, and an asshole one at that!”

“Shut your mouth psycho.” Macho grunted, and Malcolm gasps as he laid a hand on his chest.

“Psycho? That’s very mean.” Malcolm poured and Macho looked confused at what he was doing-good because Malcolm had no idea either. “Anyway let’s get right down to business. See, we’re soulmates so it’s kinda hard to miss when my stone suddenly starts cracking-real concerning actually.”

Malcolm was buying time, stalling, because his approximation on how long it would take for JT and Gil to show up was soon and also not soon enough.

“So, uh, if you plan to get away with this,” Malcolm grinned broadly and forced his mania levels to raise higher. “you’re going to have to kill me first.”

“What the hell kinda cop are you?” Macho sneered, but he wavered and that’s what Malcolm needed to see. He was not capable of murder, at least while he’s not in a blindness rage.

“That’s the thing, I’m not.” Malcolm answered honestly, he always did, and Macho looked more perplexed. “Although if it makes you feel better I used to be a federal agent. But I was fired so,” Malcolm shrugs as if to say ‘what can you do’ and it looks like Macho is getting tired of his shit.

“So you’re not a cop,” Macho repeats slowly, “and you didn’t come with backup. So why shouldn’t I blast your brains right now?”

“Because it’s a pain to clean up?” Malcolm offers, and Macho looks like he’s about to bang his head in the nearest wall. Not the Malcolm would mind if he did. “I told you man, you’re going to have to kill me if you want to get to Dani again.”

“Are you guys really that close?” Macho snorts as he shakes his head. “You don’t even have a bond.” A perceptive one, which means he might be smarter than he looks.

“Nah, but we are friends. And since I have so few of those, I have to protect them when I can.” Malcolm shrugs easily, and if there’s one thing he was told when he was _( ~~hated by everyone)~~_ outcasted was that he ran his mouth way too much, but it was coming into use now so _suck it_ bullies.

Yeah, he was way too sleep deprived for this.

Luckily for him, all of them really, the door was busted down and Gil and JT came in like avenging angels.

“NYPD! Put your hands in the air!” Macho reacts quickly, aiming his gun at JT as his eyes dart from place to place.

“I thought you said you weren’t a cop!”

“I’m not, but they are.” Macho clearly realizes he’s outnumbered because he grits his teeth, drops the gun, and reluctantly puts his hands in the air.

As JT puts the cuffs on him and Gil reads him his Miranda rights, Malcolm turns towards Dani and works on getting her out of her restraints.

“Don’t tell me that along with snakes as pets, you were a master escape artist.”

“Only as a side hobby.” At Dani’s incredulous stare, Malcolm laughs. “Kidding, FBI remember? I thought it’d be good to know if I ever got kidnapped or found tied up hostages.”

“Yeah yeah whatever.” They fall into companionable silence and then Malcolm has to break it with a stupid comment.

“You have shit taste in men.” The moment the words leave his mouth, Malcolm wishes he could take it back but then Dani’s laughing and maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to say.

“Maybe, but luckily it was the universe picked my soulmate instead.” Malcolm had just gotten her bonds undone when she said that, and it suddenly reminded him of the warmth in his chest that wasn’t because he made Dani laugh but because he has his stone in it and _oh shit-_

“-lm! -colm! _Malcolm!”_ He jolts out of his thoughts and finds it weird that he’s suddenly in a sitting position against the wall and Dani’s in front of him, and that the room was suddenly cleared of people.

“Out.” Malcolm hears himself rasps, and fuck that doesn’t sound like his normal voice but he could care less with the unbearable warmth in his chest reminding him of _what’s there that he doesn’t want._ “I need it _out.”_ He’s vaguely aware that he’s now clawing at his chest, trying to find purchase at the buttons of his shirt, and he feels like he has a miniature sun in his chest _fuck._

“Hey okay, I know you do but that’s not helping.” Dani grabbed his wrists in her hands and he’s also vaguely aware that he’s digging his nails into her skin and that must hurt like a bitch, but she doesn’t comment on it and he’s too far gone to consciously notice enough to fix anything about it.

_‘Gil and JT will be here soon.’_ His mind whispers, the rational part of it that hasn’t been shut down due to his stone, and he’s comforted by the fact. _‘They’ll intervene once they see you’re hurting her.’_

_‘Like the monster you are.’_

“Shit.” Malcolm hisses and it’s enough for him to come to reality, if only for a moment, and he hastily pulled his hands away from Dani _(from the source of his own personal sun in his chest)_ and instead let’s them claw into his long sleeves-pointedly not looking at the crescent moons in Dani’s wrists.

“Malcolm-“ Dani reaches out for him but he’s pulling away before she can get too close, back pressed more into the wall as if to mold into it, and his breaths come out in short puffs, too high strung for anything else.

“Alright, I’ll take it from here.” A hand on Dani’s shoulder, but Malcolm is too busy staring resolutely at the floor to notice as he struggles to ignore what he knows is there. “Go to JT, we have paramedics outside that you should go check out.”

“But-“

“Trust me.” A squeeze on her shoulder as Gil gently leads her to the door. “It might be better if you’re not here.”

_‘Monster, the kids were right that’s all I’ll ever be. I took after my father and I sure as hell don’t deserve this fucking personal sun-‘_ A hand in his shoulder, and Malcolm’s head snapped up to meet the eyes of Gil’s.

“Hey kid, how are you doing?”

“Great, just great!” Malcolm let out a hysterical laugh as the nails dug deeper into his arms. “Found Dani, really we should be focusing on her since she’s the one who got hurt-“

“Dani’s tough, she’ll be fine. According to her she just has a few scratches and a black eye. That douche wasn’t much of a threat otherwise.”

“The psychological effects-“

_“Malcolm.”_ A tighter squeeze. “Dani is fine, I promise. You on the other hand? You just had a meltdown over a sun? According to your mumbling at least.”

_Sun._ That’s right, of course. The fucking stone in his goddamn chest, the one that he was trying to ignore. It was easier to ignore when Dani was farther away, when she’s farther away it can settle back to a coldness he’s adapted to.

_Distance._

“Of course,” Malcolm muttered, clarity falling upon him, and Gil looked increasingly worried. “I just have to keep distance and nothing changed.”

“What?” Gil shook him a little in order to make him focus on him again. “Are you okay kid?”

“Yeah yeah.” Malcolm stood up, waving him off and grinning. “I’m great! Amazing! I just needed a moment to think.”

“Right,” Gil eyed him, suspicious, but clapped him on the shoulder. “remember that I’m always in your corner.”

“Of course.” Malcolm nodded but his mind was already a mile away.

Distance was all he needed, and has long has he kept his distance than everything would go back to normal.

His mind flashed back to the crescent moons on Dani’s wrist, his thoughts whispering to him of his true nature, and can’t help but think that he’s up for a couple new nightmares these following nights.

_(He also can’t help but think that he deserves it)_

* * *

Malcolm, Dani was quickly learning, was a ride or die type of friend.

And he leaned more towards the ‘die’ part of the phrase.

Despite this, Malcolm was a genuinely good friend. A little awkward, but was ultimately there for you in the end. He tries to be compassionate, sympathetic, and if it’s in his capabilities he’ll try to help you out. Hell, even if it _isn’t_ in his capabilities he’ll help you out.

Which is why she wasn’t completely surprised when Malcolm showed up to her apartment and immediately started talking shit to Jerry in what he would say was profiling, but she thought he just genuinely loved being a little shit.

And then he had gotten hit over his head, twice, and he was stumbling to the floor beside her. When he had come to his senses, the sharp sense of relief was also accompanied by something Dani was unaccustomed with when it came to being close to Malcolm.

Warmth.

When she had tried to ask, Malcolm was springing to his feet and challenging her ex despite the fact he was wielding a gun-which wasn’t really surprising. Malcolm always did this, and he was never armed when he did it either. Dani would have to ask him about that sometime, why he didn’t carry a gun when he was more than capable, after all he used to be apart of the FBI and despite his intelligence you still needed to be gun qualified to be an on-field agent.

And then suddenly Malcolm is in the midst of a mental breakdown, eyes wide and unseeing, and Dani can’t seem to help him this time. He’s clawing at his chest, gasping for air, but shows no signs of hallucinations or nightmares, obviously since he wasn’t asleep, so what the hell happened?

_‘Out.’_ Her mind echoed, and Dani remembered the voice Malcolm had used and the wild look in his eyes. It was unlike anything she’s ever seen on him before, untamed and _dangerous._

Well, the universe knows her well because she’s never been afraid of danger.

So on the third day, when it becomes apparent that Malcolm is actively avoiding her, she goes and seeks him out.

Gnawing on her lip, Dani feels the first hint of hesitance reach her as she looks down at the card in her hand.

_Jessica Whitley._

Malcolm’s mother had given it to her with an award winning smile, urging Dani to reach out to her if she ever needed advice on Malcolm, and she had taken it as a courtesy thing, never planning on using it.

_‘Fuck it, I have nothing else to lose.’_ Dani’s mind whispered, and in the next moment she’s dialing the number and holding her breath as it rings.

“Jessica Whitly.” Comes a voice and Dani sighs in relief, not knowing whether or not the woman would’ve picked up to an unknown number.

“Hi this is Dani Powell, Malcolm’s-“

“Soulmate, yes! I remember. So, what happened?” Jessica sounded so sure that something _did_ happen, and Dani wondered if it was the lack of faith in her or Malcolm.

She didn’t want to know the answer.

“Nothing, I just need his address. He’s been avoiding me for a few days and I intend on finding out why.”

“Ah yes, Malcolm was always the best hider.” Jessica sighed “I’m glad the universe gave him a good seeker.”

“Was he...” Dani felt bad for asking, this was Malcolm’s mother. “Was he always like this?”

“After his father? Yes, sometimes you feel like he’s normal. Happy, talking, laughing, joking...”

_Bright blue eyes crinkling as they lit up with joy at the half ass joke Dani made._

“And then he’s completely different, it can be gradual or it can be a flip of a switch. It can be sullen, or it can be violent.” Jessica let out a hollow laugh. “The last part depends on whether or not the restraints are on.”

_Wild eyes, crescent moons embedded into her wrists and into his arms._

“Whenever someone mentions my children, they always trail off at Malcolm’s name. But you’re different, I can tell, and I’m praying to whatever god there may be that he lets you in, that he doesn’t push you away like he did to us.”

Silence fell on them, and Dani didn’t know what comfort she could provide. Before she could attempt to, though, Jessica was speaking.

“Fight for him, because I don’t think he has it in him to fight for himself-for his own happiness. And maybe along the way you can both start healing.” After that, she told Dani Malcolm’s address and bid her farewell.

“Won’t fight for himself huh?” Dani muttered. “We’ll see about that.”

* * *

When she arrived, she was very confused by the package at the doorstep labeled Dani.

Picking it up gently, she looked for a note attached but couldn’t find one. Opening it warily, she was surprised to find a key with the note she had been looking for.

_Just in case he doesn’t answer._

_-JW_

Turning the key over, she pocketed it and turned back towards the building. Taking a deep breath, she went up and rang the buzzer.

_“Malcolm Bright.”_ A scratchy voice responded after the buzzer, dull and flat, and Dani took another breath.

“Malcolm.” Silence on the other end aside from the static of the speaker, but Dani could work with that. “We- _I_ need to talk to you.”

“Sorry Dani, but I’m sick. Wouldn’t want you to get infected.” Malcolm responded after a minute, but she didn’t need to be a profiler to pick up the obvious lie.

“I have a key, your mother gave it to me,” A curse on the other end and Dani felt like smiling because that was a very _Malcolm_ response. “so we can do this the hard way or the easy way.” Another moment of silence, and then an audible click.

“Come on up.” The voice was dead again and the speaker was silent, so Dani made her way to Malcolm.

When she did finally make it to the door, she found it already cracked open. Easing her way in gently, she closed it with a soft click and found who she was looking for in the living room.

Said person was currently throwing axes.

_‘Violent.’_ Her mind muttered but she shook it away because that wasn’t Malcolm. He wasn’t violent, hell he looked at axe throwing as a _sport_ and the only time he was truly violent was in the middle of a nightmare. Even then, restraints were taken as a precaution. Malcolm didn’t take _joy_ in being a threat to others, he wasn’t a sadist. He even refused to carry a gun around, for whatever reason.

_‘Dangerous.’_ Her mind supplied, and yeah she could see it. An experienced martial artist that also had an assortment of weapons on his walls that he seemed perfectly capable of using? Yeah, he was dangerous but he never acted upon it. Not like the word _violent_ would imply he did.

“Throwing axes is fun, you should try it sometimes.” Malcolm grinned as he heaved another one towards the wall with targets on them, hitting it near damn perfect.

“Yeah?” Dani took a step closer, away from the door and towards Malcolm, and could see his mask quickly crumbling as he took a step back in response. “Were you doing this before I buzzed you?” Another nail on the coffin, and Malcolm’s mask is getting chipped at bit by bit.

“Well, no, but there’s always time for spontaneous axe throwing!” Malcolm cheered joyfully, and Dani frowned.

“Right,” Dani drawled, unimpressed and disbelieving, but to his credit Malcolm didn’t flatter. “so once again are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?”

“What do you mean?”

“The easy way is us sitting down like reasonable adults and talking this out, and the hard way is that you keep deflecting and I keep pushing you until one of us gets annoyed and snaps.”

“I’ll make tea,” Malcolm offered, making his way to the kitchen. “in the meantime, here.” He fishes a lollipop out of a container, Dani counting five, and gave Dani one.

“Thanks.” They fell into silence as Malcolm made tea and Dani tried to figure out where to start. Her eyes fell on Malcolm’s wrists, and she narrowed her eyes.

They were covered up with long sleeves.

“You’re not hot?” Dani remarked casually, and Malcolm laughed as he reached for cups.

“No, I mean axe throwing gets the blood pumping but like you said I wasn’t doing it for long.”

“So if you were to lift up your sleeves right now would I see names or makeup?” Malcolm didn’t answer, and that further fed into Dani’s suspicions. Instead, he merely slides one of the cups to Dani across the counter and opts to lean against it instead of getting closer to her.

“Hey man, you gotta talk to me. I want to know what’s wrong.” She took a sip of her tea and raised an eyebrow in surprise. “It’s my favorite tea.”

“I know.” Malcolm smiled back, a genuine one and, when Dani leveled him with a stare that told him he wasn’t getting out of the conversation, he sighed. “There’s nothing wrong _,_ I just don’t like _it_ in.”

“Why’d you put it in if you don’t like it?”

“Gil thought it’d help us find you, and it did. I’m not regretful of that,” Malcolm huffed as he tried to collect his thoughts. “I just wish it didn’t have to come to that. I wish I could just-“ Malcolm’s hand flexed momentarily on the table before he smiled wearily. “But I can’t so it doesn’t matter.”

Dani knew where he was getting at, he wants to rip it out of his chest, and they both know doing that is suicide. Under a careful procedure, the stone is no problem to extract but bare handed? It’s an assured death to the person, and painful.

“Why does it bother you so much?”

“I already told you, my father did despicable things with soul stones and I never wanted mine back in because of it.”

“It’s more than that, there’s something else.” Malcolm’s eyes snapped to hers in surprise, and she held his gaze steady. She wasn’t dumb, and with the amount of time she’s been spending with Malcolm it was only a matter of time before she started learning his tells. What he had said was the surface truth, but she knew there was something more in his reasoning for not wanting his stone.

“...It doesn’t matter, it was a long time ago.” Malcolm says dully, and Dani reaches out to comfort him. Her efforts don’t go unnoticed, because in the next moment Malcolm’s presses against the fridge with wide eyes and clutching his chest.

“Hey hey, it’s okay look.” Dani quickly retracts her hand and holds them both in the air. “I won’t come closer, I swear.”

It takes a moment, but then Malcolm’s slowly peeling himself off of the fridge and edging his way back to where he initially was, rubbing his chest with an uncomfortable grimace.

“Sorry I just,” Malcolm clears his throat and takes a moment to sip his tea. “I’m not used to having it in my chest, never mind it heating up.”

“Look, if you really don’t want it in I understand but you should be honest to yourself why you don’t want it.”

“I am honest with myself.”

_“Just not to you_ . _”_ Was the unspoken part of the sentence but Dani heard it loud and clear, whether Malcolm meant to send that message or not.

_‘I’m praying to whatever god there may be that he lets you in, that he doesn’t push you away like he did to us.’_ Jessica’s words came back to her, and Dani couldn’t help the bitter smile that twisted on her face.

_‘A little too late for that.’_ Malcolm must’ve noticed the look on her face and he reached out to touch her before thinking better of it and retracting his hand.

“I’m not freezing you out, this is just something I have to get through on my own. A month from now, I’ll be back to my usual self. Until then, I just have to push through this.” Malcolm offers an apologetic smile, and Dani nods.

“I get it, just know I’m here for you. We don’t even have to be face to face, you can call me.” Dani gathers her things and knows what Malcolm means by ‘in a month.’

Because in a month he’ll be undergoing he stone extraction surgery.

“Of course, thanks.” As Dani leaves, another one of Jessica’s messages echoed in her mind.

_‘I don’t think he has it in him to fight for himself-for his own happiness._

Dani was beginning to think she was right.

* * *

It was day 23 when Dani got it.

The dream.

_‘Monster! That’s all you’ll ever be, just like your father!’_

_‘You don’t deserve a soul stone!’_

_‘I’ll tear it right out your chest!’ One kid sneered, advancing on him quickly. He backed up and his eyes widened as he tripped backwards and fell. The kid climbed on top of him and tore his shirt off, the buttons undoing quickly at the force of his tear, and he reached down at the bright yellow stone._

_‘No! No! Get off me, I don’t want to! I don't want to die!’ The little boy screeched, so much smaller than the rest of the kids around him and they laughed around him._

_‘You’re not gonna die you idiot, you’ll just lose your soulmate privileges.’ It felt like someone dumped a cold bucket of water on him as he realized they had no idea what they were doing, they didn’t know the consequences of ripping a stone out barehanded._

_A hand reached down and grabbed his stone, and he screamed._

Dani woke up with a gasp, her heart beating rapidly as she stared unseeing into the darkness of her room. She scrambled to her chest, finding her soulmate stone through her shirt and sighing in relief. 

“What the fuck.” She whispered, leaning over and turning on her lamp rested on her bedside table. “What the hell was that?” She knew though, she heard of this trait through her parents. 

The signs of the bond. 

If she was correct, and there was no way she wasn’t, Malcolm must’ve gotten a dream about her memories too. 

Maybe with that he’ll stay asleep for the whole night, if the universe decides to grace him with a good memory of her. 

Well, at least she knows why Malcolm refuses to keep his soul stone. 

_‘Monster!’_

She scowled at the thought of those assholes hurting Malcolm so much that he had no choice but to accept what they were saying as the absolute truth. 

In the back of her mind, Dani wondered what happened to Malcolm. If someone had intervened, or if he was left to fend for himself. 

Dani looked over at her phone and groaned when she opened it and the time was 5:00am. 

She got up warily and began her morning, showering first to hopefully get rid of the nightmare and sweat that came with it. By the time she was fully ready to go, she had wasted enough time for it to be an appropriate time to go to work.

“Hey Dani,” JT greeted as she walked through the door, “you’re a little early.” 

“I woke up before my alarm clock went off and I couldn’t go back to sleep.”

“Funny because Malcolm isn’t here and he’s usually here before me.” JT obviously had his own suspicions about what had happened but unless he wanted to say it out loud Dani wasn’t going to address it. Instead, she shrugged and sits down at her desk as they wait for Malcolm. Once they all grew closer, they designated days where someone would grab coffee for them and today was Malcolm’s day. 

Around 7:30 Malcolm walked in merrily, carrying their coffees in a container designated for multiple coffee cups. 

“I come bearing gifts!” Malcolm skillfully hands out the coffees and leaves Gil’s on the desk beside him for when he comes in.

“Hey, you came in a little late.” JT commented and Malcolm took a sip of his coffee. 

“Apparently I am capable of getting a full night of sleep, surprising right?”

“Yeah, especially since Dani came in super early. It’s kinda like you guys switched, funny right?” Malcolm winced guiltily at that and JT raises another eyebrow. 

“Are you two fucking?” Malcolm flushes a deep red and Dani scrunches up her nose. 

“No, what the hell JT?”

“You guys have been acting suspicious sue me for wondering.”  
  
“Remember that comment I made when I first met you? About you making everything sexual?” Malcolm jumps in, “I’m increasingly finding it to be true with each day.”  
  
“Whatever man, it’s not my fault you guys are acting hella weird.”  
  
“It’s because their bonding has started.” A new voice cuts in, and they all turn to find Gil walking towards them. Malcolm wordlessly hands him his coffee, and Gil nods his thanks. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Yeah.” Malcolm mumbles, rubbing his chest again, and Gil smirks.

“Dreams?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Jackie and I got dreams first too.” Gil mentions offhandedly, and Malcolm smiles at the fact. Bonding happens in stages, but the aspects of it is interchangeable in those stages. While Gil and Jackie experienced dreams as their first bonding stage, Dani’s own parents had started with the passage of emotions. “We found it best that we talked about them, it helps clear up any questions and unnecessary worrying about what your bonded saw. Today is going to be a lazy day, you two should go in an empty office and talk about what you saw.” Malcolm opened his mouth to protest, but Gil had already predicted what he was going to say. “I’ll call you guys back out if there’s anything pressing that needs both of you.” 

Dani nods and starts making her way to an empty, soundproof, room, while Malcolm hesitates and scuffles his feet. 

“Go Bright.” Gil shoves him forward a little, like he’s a kid on his first day of school, and Malcolm reluctantly makes his way towards the office Dani picked out.“You think they’ll figure it out?” JT asks as the door shuts behind the two newly bonded, and Gil sighs.

“I hope so because, whether he wants to admit it or not, Malcolm has been getting better-seems happier too. Dani too, she doesn’t like to admit it but the prospect of someone being made for her and someone loving her unconditionally has always been a soft spot for her.” 

“Your parents are nice.” Malcolm blurted out the moment he sat down, wanting to get the first word in, and across from him Dani looks amused.

“Yeah?” At Malcolm’s nod, Dani smiles. “What did you see?”  
  
“Halloween, your family dressed up and it seemed nice. I also saw Thanksgiving, that seemed very...connected?” Malcolm frowned, and it was apparent that wasn’t the word he was looking for. “No, it was warm and nice. Safe?”

“I get what you mean.” Dani assured and Malcolm sighed in relief. This was harder than he thought, describing what he saw, and while his therapist would say it’s because he’s never experienced the feeling, or at least he hasn’t experienced it in a long time, his therapist wasn’t here so he doesn’t have the address _that_ can of worms.

“Anyway, yeah, that’s what I saw. When we used to celebrate holidays, it was a big thing. Charities, hugging and acting like a family for the cameras. We only celebrated a holiday like that once, when my grandparents came over, and that was a few months after Ainsley was born.” Malcolm huffed out a laugh at that, slightly hollow. “Which is sad now that I think about it because Ainsely was too young to remember that and Martin was a few months away from being found out. But your memory was nice, I’m glad I got to see it.” Malcolm smiled softly at her, and he wishes they could stay like this.

Unfortunately, Dani jumps right in to her dream as to rip off the metaphorical band-aid.

“My dream was of you in school, after the whole Surgeon fiasco.” Malcolm’s face dropped at that and he searched his memories for what she might’ve seen. “You were cornered, and they were throwing insults at you-calling you a monster and saying that you didn’t deserve your soul stone.” Malcolm wishes he could say that it narrowed the search of possible memories, but it definitely didn’t. ”One of them tried to take out your soul stone, without knowing the consequences.” 

A wave of realization hits him because with the additional details he can definitely pinpoint the memory and the universe must really hate them because that had to be one of the worst memories to start off with, right up there with the memory of the girl in the box.

“Sorry-”  
  
“Don’t say sorry, it sure as hell wasn’t your fault.”  
  
_‘Monster!’_

“Right.” Malcolm says, but it must’ve sounded as unconvincing as it did to his own ears because Dani narrowed her eyes.

“I’m serious, it’s _not_ your fault. Those assholes were just that, assholes. If I told you my father committed a crime and now people are out to get me, would you say I deserved it?”  
  
“No but-”

“But nothing. You didn’t deserve _anything_ that happened to you, okay? And I know you hate the thought of having a soulmate,” Malcolm wanted to open his mouth and say that it wasn’t that he hated the thought of having a soulmate, he hated the thought of someone being burdened with him, but then Dani is reaching over and covering his hand with hers and he suddenly has to work on not pulling away from the touch that’s making the sun in his chest heat up. “but I _am_ your soulmate and I definitely don’t believe your a monster, or whatever else those people said about you. You’re not a monster, you’re not a burden, you’re _Malcolm Bright,_ one of the best people I know and my bonded.”

He didn’t realize he was crying until the tears hit the table, and once he did he was acutely aware of how his vision was blurred and what he must look like.

_‘Weak. A coward. A fucking mess.’_

Malcolm hastily uses his other hand not occupied with Dani’s to wipe his eyes, and he internally scolded himself for letting his emotions get away from him so easily. 

“I know how you feel about your soulmate stone, and I know that part of it was your father and part of it was people like those guys in the dream, and I respect your decision but I just want to let you know that you have people here for you that care for you. Don’t ever forget that, okay? You’re not the only ‘ride or die’ friend here.” Dani retracts her hand and Malcolm found it weird that he missed the warmth that he had just gotten used to.

“Okay, thanks.” Malcolm clears his throat to get rid of the scratchiness that had came about when he was crying. “Ready to join the real world?”  
  
“Yeah, lets go.” Dani stood up and Malcolm followed her lead, walking out the door together.

Later, on day 28, Malcolm got a phone call.

“Hello?”  
  
“Hello, I’m looking for Malcolm Bright?”  
  
“Yes, that’s me.”  
  
“Hi Mr. Bright I would just like to confirm your appointment for a stone extraction surgery?”

_‘I definitely don’t believe your a monster, or whatever else those people said about you.’_

_‘Ha! This freak having a soulmate? What a joke!’_

_‘I just want to let you know that you have people here for you that care for you.’_

_‘I bet your soulmate would rather kill themselves before dating someone like you.’_

_‘You’re not a monster, you’re not a burden, you’re Malcolm Bright, one of the best people I know.’_

He took a deep breath, and gave his answer.

Two days later, he woke up to doctors carefully handing him a yellow stone.

* * *

Despite Malcolm taking out his soul stone, Dani and him were still undergoing the bonding process. 

Dani noticed it once they continued to hang out with each other, but the exact moment she noticed it was after they had all participated in axe throwing _(come on JT, you can do better than that!)_ and she laid down on her bed to go to sleep. She had taken a deep breath and suddenly she was overwhelmed with an emotion that took her a moment to identify.

_Self hatred._

Scrambling for her phone, she felt tears stream down her face as she clicked on her mother’s contact as she choked on a sob.

“Dani? It’s 11:00 in the night.” Her mother picked up, confused and sleepy, but was immediately alert when she heard Dani choke on another sob. “Dani? What’s wrong? Honey wake up, something is wrong with our baby.”

Through gasps of air and weakening sobs, Dani told her parents of the feeling. The tightening of her chest, as if someone had grabbed her heart and _squeezed,_ and the _shame and anger and hate-_

“How does he live like this?” Dani whispered into the phone, finally having calmed down, and there was static on the other end before her mother spoke up.

“He’s probably used to it honey. If he has been bullied for as long as you’ve told us, he probably had a long time to adjust to the feeling.” 

“This may of had been part of what he was scared of.” Her father chimed in, voice calm and soothing. “Nobody wants their soulmate in pain, and I’m sure he’s well informed on the process of bonding. It’s possible he wanted to spare his soulmate of seeing his life and feeling his emotions.”

“That does sound like him.” Dani muttered softly, and her mother takes over. 

“You’re close to being fully bonded, one more stage to go. You may be his soulmate, but that’s doesn’t mean you have to run yourself ragged. Take this night to think about what you want from this, okay?” 

“Thanks mom. I appreciate it.” She hung up and curled tighter in her blanket. 

What did she want from this? She wanted Malcolm to be happy, of course, but what else? What did _she_ want? 

_Blue eyes crinkling as she speaks, broad grins._

_Blue eyes flashing with concern, bending down in front of her and voice calm and comforting despite the obvious concern._

_Holding hands, conquering fears, comforting each other._

She wanted to be by Malcolm’s side, through thick and thin, she wanted to be the one that Malcolm could always rely on, the one that he could be assured that she wouldn’t leave him. 

She wanted to be Malcolm’s soulmate. 

Her chest lightened, and not just because of her revelation. 

_Fondness. Happiness._

Dani smiled as she closed her eyes and tipped her head back, happy that Malcolm seemed to have found some sleep. 

She was ready to fight for her soulmate, and she was ready to make Malcolm fight for it too. And she hopes that he can feel her conviction through his sleep and know that she’s not going anywhere. 

_Through thick and thin._

* * *

“So it’s come to my attention that I can sense what you’re feeling, which means you can sense what I’m feeling.” Malcolm states as soon as he finds her, and Dani can feel how this makes Malcolm feel.

_Embarrassed._

Despite that, Malcolm does a good job of hiding it. If she didn’t have this radar of Malcolm’s emotions she’d have no idea he was embarrassed. 

“You’re determined, why?” Malcolm questions, sitting close to Dani now that he doesn’t have the stone to make him feel warm, and Dani smiles.

“I’m glad you asked, because we’re going to a therapist.”  
  
“What?” Malcolm chokes on his coffee, delivered by JT this time, and Dani waits for him to gather his bearings. “Why?”  
  
“Not a normal one, so calm down, we’re visiting an emotion therapist.” Emotion therapists help those in the process of bonding complete what will be the third step for them. 

Capping the emotion passage.

If they’re able to do that, not only will they be able to stop the other from feeling their emotions, they’ll finish the last step of the bond and finalize it. 

“I’ve already got Gil to give us the day off, I was just waiting for you.” When Malcolm looks perturbed by it, Dani snorts and knocks her shoulder with his. “You know your not going to be able to concentrate knowing you can feel my emotions and I can feel yours.” When Malcolm’s lips thin and she can feel begrudging acceptance from him, she stands up. “Lets go.”

When they arrive at the therapist office and get called in, Malcolm’s face lights up.  
  
“Hey! I didn’t think I’d be seeing you here!” The therapist looks up and sees Malcolm, and smiles kindly. Dani looks at the name on the desk and reads “Dr. Gabrielle Le Deux”” Looking around, she spotted two certificates on the wall for an emotion and child therapist. 

“You were his childhood therapist?”

“I still am his therapist, he doesn’t want to find someone more appropriate for his age.”  
  
“Nope! You’re the best one out there, what’s the point of changing?” 

_Guilt. Loyalty. Devotion. Contentedness._

“Let's sit down, you’re here for what looks to be your final level of the bonding.” They all take a seat as instructed by Dr. Gabrielle and Dani nods.

“Yes, we need to learn how to stop our emotions from passing the passageway.” 

“I want you two to close your eyes and imagine a tunnel that connects you two, Malcolm is on one side and Dani is on the other.” They do as she said, closing her eyes and constructing a tunnel in their mind. “Nothing else exists, just you two and that tunnel. Your emotions pass through this tunnel, and that’s how they get to your bonded.” Dani watches as a small yellow round being walks from her side, through the tunnel, and reaches Malcolm, who observes it with unmasked curiosity and picks it up gently. When he does, it disappears and Malcolm is left with a message.

_Happiness._

“I want you to imagine that you have a lever besides you, and that lever causes a wall to go up in front of you.” A lever appears easily on Malcolm’s side, and he watches from the other side of the tunnel as Dani struggles with making it. It takes a few moments, but she eventually does. “When you pull the lever, the wall will appear and your emotions can’t pass through.” 

A much smaller yellow being, more dull than hers had been, appeared on Malcolm’s side but hesitated to walk through the tunnel. He gave it a little nudge and it started to stumble towards her, a little unsteady on its feet, and when it finally reached her, she didn’t hesitate to pick it up.

_Joy._

Before either of them could celebrate, something big and _ugly_ appeared behind Malcolm. Seeing her widening eyes, he turned around quickly and frowned at the emotion. His hand flew to the lever and for a moment they all stood still, Malcolm’s eyes trained on the emotion and Dani’s eyes trained on him.

Then the emotion roared and Malcolm was pulling the lever. 

A wall appeared in front of him, just like Dr. Gabrielle said it would, and the rest of the tunnel felt too empty, too quiet. 

An emotion appeared beside her, a dull blue one, and she knew what it was.

_Worry._

It wobbled on its feet and then started to make its way towards the wall where Malcolm previously stood. When it got to the wall, it disappeared into it.

“Even if one person has up the wall, if the other person doesn’t then the emotions can still be viewed by the one with the wall.” A calm voice filtered through, and it was a shame that the therapist couldn’t see what was happening because Dani had no idea where to go from here. “For the bond to be successful and complete, both bonded need to be able to raise their wall.” 

Another ‘worry’ emotion appeared beside her and she attempted to pull down the lever, but was unsuccessful. How could she be, when Malcolm was stuck on the other side with whatever the hell that emotion was? But, she did know what it was, didn’t she?  
  
_Self hate._

The thing that choked Dani in the middle of the night was back again and it was once again on Malcolm’s side. She gritted her teeth and felt her conviction rise, she’d be damned if she didn’t at least attempt to help Malcolm. Multiple beings appeared beside her, the two biggest one being the one that mattered the most.

_Belief. Hope._

She sent them out in one big wave and they reached the wall all around the same time, disappearing once they reached the wall. She sent them wave after wave until, finally, the wall on the other side came down and Malcolm appeared, surrounded by her emotions. 

The self hate that had appeared behind Malcolm could be seen amidst all the bright colors of Dani’s emotions, but it was smaller and shriveled up. No matter how much her hope and belief tried to squash it, it didn’t disappear. Instead, it walked past all her emotions and began the trek to her. Malcolm watched it as his lips thinned, before turning away and starting to reach out to her emotions so they could disappear. When it reached Dani she bent down to pick it up gently with both hands, observing it closely and coming to the conclusion that it looked more pitiful up close. She hugged it close to her chest, accepting this part of Malcolm, and felt it disappear. When she looked up, all of her emotions on Malcolm’s side were gone and he was left smiling softly at Dani.

They both reached for their levers and, with one last nod, they both pulled them shut at the same time. 

Opening her eyes, she was met with Dr. Gabrielle’s inquisitive eyes observing them both. Subconsciously, Dani and Malcolm had reached out to each other and linked hands as they entered the passage of emotions. She gave it one last squeeze before letting go, and Malcolm opened his eyes blearily.

“Congratulations, the bonding process is complete and you two are officially bonded.” 

“Thank you.” Her voice was quiet, as if not wanting to break something fragile in the air, and she stood up, feeling at peace, and watched as Malcolm smiled at her.

“Go get the car started, I’m going to grab us lollipops.” Dani nodded, and walked out the door. Once she did, Malcolm turned towards his therapist.

“Can you recommend any therapists to me, ones that are trained in my age group?” Malcolm asks, albeit a bit shyly, and she beams at him.

“Ready to make a change?”

“Yeah,” Malcolm glances at the door that Dani just left through and smiled. “I think I am.”

* * *

Once they got used to being bonded, Dani had went back to the passage of emotions and opened her side of the wall. Whenever she noticed that Malcolm looked sad or a little more maniacal than usual she would send emotions of encouragement and comfort and, for the most part, it worked. The tenseness in his shoulders would relax and he would shoot her a quick smile before getting back to the task at hand.

He never opened his side of the passageway but that was okay with Dani, she understood he had boundaries and as long as she could help him from her side of the tunnel she was fine.

Which is why, when he invited her over to his place, she had no idea what to expect. 

They watched a couple of movies and played board games, which is where she learned Malcolm was extremely competitive, and they drank her favorite tea.

Malcolm stood up just as Dani rolled a six, and she looked up at him questioningly. 

“Hold on, I want to show you something.” She didn’t need to be able to read his emotions to know he was nervous, and when he came back he was holding a box. 

“What is this?” She took the box and inspected it without opening it, and Malcolm produced a key from god knows where. 

“Here, open it.” His voice had taken a softer tone to it, and Dani took the key from his hand before opening the top of the box.

It was only after she opened it did she notice the warmth in her chest, and there laid a bright yellow stone.

“This…?” She trailed off as she looked up and caught Malcolm unbuttoning the last of his shirt buttons, revealing to her the hole in his chest. “Malcolm, what…”

“I’m ready, I’m just sorry it took me so long and you had to wait.”  
  
“Never be sorry for that, it was better for your mental health to wait. And to be honest, it was better for me too. I don’t think either of us would’ve been ready if we rushed this.” That was definitely true, the extra time gave Dani the much needed time to truly trust Malcolm and understand his place in her world. “Are you sure this is what you want? I don’t want to rush anything, you know I’ll wait as long as you need.” 

Malcolm was already shaking his head and cupping her hands with his by the time she finished her sentence. “No, I’m ready. I promise, I’ve given this a lot of thought.” Together, they pushed the stone in his chest and watched as the skin around it already started to heal. Malcolm took a deep breath as warmth flooded through him and Dani watched carefully for his reaction as he buttoned up his shirt, but found nothing concerning.

No panic, no fear, only happiness.

Relief flooded through her and Malcolm must’ve felt it because he looked up and smiled at her. 

“One more thing.” Malcolm muttered as he closed his eyes and took another deep breath before opening his eyes again to meet hers.

_Joy. Love. Nervousness._

Malcolm had taken down his wall.

Dani let out a burst of laughter and, like a domino effect, Malcolm laughed too. Dani surged forward and kissed Malcolm, relief and joy flooding through her.

“I love you too, idiot.” Dani muttered after they parted, Malcolm looking a bit dazed at the surprise kiss before snapping out of it and laughing as the nervousness melted away. “Also, sorry.”

“Sor-” Malcolm looks to the board game in confusion and notices one of his pawns are back at home base. “No! You don’t love me.” Malcolm says, pouting, and Dani kisses him on the cheek.

“Of course I do, but I can’t have you winning.”  
  
“We’ll see about that.” Malcolm’s eyes are bright and sparkling, and they don’t leave each other’s side for the rest of the game.

They may have their bad days, Malcolm panicking over one thing or another and Dani shutting him out suddenly, but at the end of the day they pull through and that’s all that matters. 

_They rise together, and fall together._

_Through thick and thin._

**Author's Note:**

> You made it to the end! Congrats! I hope you enjoyed, comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> If you enjoyed it consider supporting me and buy me a coffee on [Kofi](https://ko-fi.com/exiti_anima)


End file.
